Where does “footwheel” come from?

footwheel (English) comes from English foot, from Middle English fot, from Old English fōt, from Proto-West Germanic fōt, from Proto-Germanic fōts, from Proto-Indo-European pṓds, from Proto-Indo-European póds, from Proto-Indo-European ped- — to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall.

footwheel (English): Any wheel worked by means of the foot

Definitions

  1. Any wheel worked by means of the foot

Ancestry of “footwheel”, step by step

footwheel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English foot

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfootA biological structure found in many animals that...
2Middle Englishfotfoot; The bottom, lower part or foundation of...
3Old Englishfōtfoot
4Proto-West Germanicfōtfoot
5Proto-Germanicfōtsfoot
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpódsfoot
8Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

via English wheel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwheelA circular device capable of rotating on its...
2Middle EnglishwhelA wheel circular device for motion
3Old Englishhwēolwheel
4Proto-Germanichweulōnominative/vocative/accusative plural of *hwehwlą
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷléh₂
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷékʷloswheel; circle
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ped-Every word from Proto-Indo-European pódsEvery word from Proto-Indo-European pṓds